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Rev. Kathi's Message:
I may have been
tempted to cancel Lent
before, but never Advent. Usually love this time of preparation and reflection.
This year, though, there's a part of me that wants to skip the waiting and the contemplation and the somber reflection. To skip the apocalyptic texts and the wild prophets in the wilderness. There's a part of me that just wants to do full-on Christmas for the next month.
I keep thinking of the song "
We Need a Little Christmas.
" It's a snappy tune, but I've always found it to be kind of a sad song: "For I've grown a little leaner, grown a little colder, grown a little sadder, grown a little older." We need a little Christmas when real life is difficult. We need a little Christmas when the real world is bleak. So, yes, maybe we do need a little Christmas now.
But we also need a little Advent. A little time to light candles of hope, peace, joy, and love against the news of despair, violence, misery, and hatred that bombards us.
There is nothing wrong with the glittering lights, the cheerful music, the superficial happiness that has come to identify the cultural season of Christmas. Being happy-even for a brief time-is good. But it will not sustain us.
Flickering Advent candle flames might not be as spectacular as dancing Christmas lights; the mournful strains of "
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
" may not be as cheery as Bruce Springsteen's rendition of "
Santa Clause is Coming to Town.
" Advent is not spectacular. It is not cheery. It is merely holy. I would venture to say that while we may want a little Christmas, we need a little Advent right this very minute . . . or at least these next few weeks.
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This Week at EMUC
Sunday at 10:00 am:
Worship led by Rev. Kathi Phillips
Advent 2 - Lighting the Candle of Peace
Scripture: Isaiah 40: 1-11
Sermon: 'Active Waiting'
Thursday at 10:00 am: Daytime Men's Group
7:00 pm: Chancel Choir
Friday at 6:00 pm: Deacon's Cupboard - Volunteer Christmas Party
Next Sunday at 10:00 am: Worship
United Nations Human Rights Day - Letter Writing Campaign
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Upcoming Events:
For many years, EMUC and friends have been generous sponsors of our Christmas program. To allow for more consistent giving across families and to address the dietary and cultural needs of those we are helping; rather than having a gift tag tree, special offering envelopes are available for individuals, families or even EMUC committees to make a donation towards the purchase of gifts for the children of our sponsored families. You could also chose to sponsor a family through your donation, with monies used to provide food vouchers for a special Christmas meal. Envelopes are available throughout November and will be collected on or before White Gift Sunday (Dec. 10th). Our youth, both within EMUC and our local community groups, will be assisting this year with the shopping of items and the packing and wrapping of the gifts. Delivery or pick up of gifts and food vouchers will be made in the usual manner around December 10th Please consider making a contribution this year to help make this holiday special for families in need, in our wider community. Remember to use the envelopes provided so your donation can be recorded through the church for your income tax purposes. For more information, contact Sandra Witterick at
sandra.witterick@gmail.com
.
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL WRITE FOR RIGHTS EVENT
- The Interfaith Justice and Peace Building Committee will mark International Human Rights Day on
- Sunday, December 10 with a "Write for Rights" event in support of prisoners of conscience and victims of harassment and human rights abuses around the world.
- Join us immediately following the service to write letters to government officials, send a card or note of support to prisoners of conscience to remind them that they are not alone, or sign a petition.
- Complete information on this year's cases will be available ahead of time. For further information on this event speak to any member of the committee: Dianne Hope, Muriel Hamdani, Hilton Jeffers, Debby Sturgeon, Larry Van Goozen.
'FUNDSCRIP' PROGRAM
We are continuing with FUNDSCRIP, an innovative fundraising program that asks you to purchase gift cards in order to pay for regular items you buy every month. A percentage of the cards we purchase through FUNDSCRIP is donated back to our church. Order forms for gift cards will be available the last Sunday of every month. The November cards can be picked up this Sunday.
The next order date is Sunday, December 31. Please see the display board at the back of the church or speak to Joanne Hines if you have any questions about the program.
THE OUT OF THE COLD PROGRAM
The Out of the Cold program is starting up again. Donations of gently used, clean winter outerwear as well as blankets would be appreciated. Please bring your donations to EMUC & leave them in the coat room. They are brought to the Open Door at Square One for distribution to their guests. Thank you.
DEACON'S CUPBOARD
The Cupboard continues to receive more and more guests each week. Please help by donating food and personal care items (the box is at the back beside the elevator) or making a financial contribution to Erin Mills United - Deacon's Cupboard. Please remember that we have no overhead. Every worker at the Cupboard is a volunteer. Currently there is a need for pure apple and orange juice in large boxes or juice boxes, peanut butter, and fava beans.
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